I finally switched to clipless and only fell once, but am still scared

[roshelleuop]

I finally switched to clipless pedals!!! Yahoo!!!! I went on my first ride yesterday and only fell once. Luckily, it was on a nice grassy spot and not a gravely hard concrete intersection. Also, I increased my average speed 1.5 mph, so I'm happy about that.

I think the reason I fell is becuase when I couldn't get my right foot out, I started to panic and pulled up and we all know that doesn't work. I actually lauged about it becuase everyone says you always fall once. It can't be all that bad to only fall once out of 20 miles with several stop/go intersections. BUT, I'm still kind of nervous about riding again. My HB keeps telling me soon it will become second nature, but when????

About how long does the nervousness last? I am terrified to fall on concrete and really do some damage to either my knees, let, elbows, etc.

Thank you all!
Roshelle from Milwaukee

[kaybee]

Congrats on going clipless! Now that you have the first fall out of the way, you'll be fine, although there are no guarantees you won't fall again (sorry). For a while, I had a 50% average -- I would fall half the time I rode! I've fallen on the side of the road, in middle of an intersection, and only once in a grassy spot, and I've never had any injury worse than a bruise or a scraped knee or elbow or something. Fortunately, the worst bike damage I did was a scrape on a saddle that I hated anyway. Falling occasionally is part of riding. You'll get more and more confident every time you ride, and pretty soon you won't even think about it, you'll just do it. So, keep practicing!

KB

[bcipam]

OK just understand - even with experience you can fall. I know many a long time rider - long time clipless user (including myself) who, in a moment of forgetfulness and panic, has fallen. But... really clipless pedals are just so much safer to use then cages and after a while it will be so automatic/natural, you won't give it a second thought. Something to remember, if you know you tipping over, relax, keep arms and knees in and just roll with the fall. Prevents broken wrists and collarbones.

[Deb76]

When I first started using the clipless pedals I would look ahead and anticipate upcoming stops such as stop signs, heavy traffic, etc and while approaching that "have to stop" area I would keeping telling myself over and over again in my head "I am attached, must clip out" and I would make sure to clip out well before I came to a complete stop that way I didn't just stop and tip over while still clipped in. For some reason just looking far ahead and telling myself "I am attached, must clip out" over and over again in my head really seemed to help me a great deal. Congrats on switching to clipless pedals, they really are great and help with climping and even on the flats as you can pull on the backstroke of your pedaling.

[deena]

I got a big from a friend that had SPD pedals, so I, clueless newbie, went to the LBS looking for shoes. The guy was really helpful and convinced me that clipless was the way to go, so I did. A couple weeks later I went back for something else and his first question was, "So how many times did you fall?" We both laughed hysterically, and I felt tons better for *only* falling twice (so far).

-Deena

[Pascale]

OMG - now I'm terrified to change bikes! LOL - the pedals I have aren't clipped or clipless, they're just old-fashioned pedals. Until a few days ago, I didn't realize there was anything else!

[KSH]

When I first started using the clipless pedals I would look ahead and anticipate upcoming stops such as stop signs, heavy traffic, etc and while approaching that "have to stop" area I would keeping telling myself over and over again in my head "I am attached, must clip out" and I would make sure to clip out well before I came to a complete stop that way I didn't just stop and tip over while still clipped in. For some reason just looking far ahead and telling myself "I am attached, must clip out" over and over again in my head really seemed to help me a great deal. Congrats on switching to clipless pedals, they really are great and help with climping and even on the flats as you can pull on the backstroke of your pedaling.

This is what I did too!

And when I would ride with newbies...they would see how I did it... clipping out EARLY... and followed my lead... since it worked.

Anytime I saw ANYTHING where it looked like I might need to stop, I would unclip and prepare.

I only fell once, in a parking lot. It was pretty minor.

OH... and another thing... half of the battle is in your HEAD! You have to tell yourself, I CAN DO THIS... I WILL NOT FALL OVER! Visaulize success!

[mimitabby]

Glad you are getting a helmet!! It's a great habit to get into. You can fall on a dirt trail and hit your head too, cars aren't the only danger.

I FLEW from my horse a few times myself, but the big difference here is that I am twice as old now.
A few years ago, I flew from my bike after hitting a rough surface and cracked my ribs.

I did lots worse on my horses and was never the worse for wear. I have been fallen on, kicked, and flew into a fence as well as onto a gravel road.


But now I am 50+ and I break more easily and heal more slowly. I haven't gone clipless yet.

[pooks]

When I first started using the clipless pedals I would look ahead and anticipate upcoming stops such as stop signs, heavy traffic, etc and while approaching that "have to stop" area I would keeping telling myself over and over again in my head "I am attached, must clip out" and I would make sure to clip out well before I came to a complete stop that way I didn't just stop and tip over while still clipped in. For some reason just looking far ahead and telling myself "I am attached, must clip out" over and over again in my head really seemed to help me a great deal. Congrats on switching to clipless pedals, they really are great and help with climping and even on the flats as you can pull on the backstroke of your pedaling.

I haven't switched to clipless yet, but I wanted to say that the first time my husband and I went to the UK we rented a car and drove. (As we've done on all trips since.) There he was with a standard shift -- sitting on the wrong side of the car, driving on the wrong side of the road, shifting with the wrong hand. And he did exactly what you're recommending.

Every time he took his seat, he'd take his left hand and "air-practice" shifting, saying, "Neutral, Drive, Reverse..." and say aloud what he had to remember to drive. We laughed about it, and then he'd take off. But after one day of that reinforcement, by the second day it was instinct.

Until we got home and he tried to drive down the wrong side of the road to get out of the airport.

[morsecode]

I had a spectacular fall (from a standstill ) b/c I couldn't get my foot out of my toe-clip ...
I have some shoes and clipless peddles on order. I am SO looking forward to trying them.

Keep riding with the new peddles, you'll get used to them!
If you are really nervous about falling, maybe you can change your routes for a while to go on bike paths that are flanked my grassy areas... just an idea